Sustainable Project: Ghana

Name: Cassidy Jenney

Specialization: Business and Sustainability

Internship: Sustainable Project, Study Abroad in Ghana

What was your internship experience?

I was a Sustainable Project Overseer and volunteer at a childrens home/school in Achiase, Ghana. Part of the internship included monitoring workers and seeing how classrooms in Ghana were constructed, first hand, with the money that the team raised through the school year. Another part of the internship included teaching children in classroom near an orphanage where the internship took place. Other tasks included helping the kids with their daily chores such as cooking meals, wash the children's clothes by hand, and helping them fetch water from the water tanks for their baths.

My experience was perhaps one of the best, or better than I could have asked for to count towards my internship credit. I was able to get international experience in something that I am very interested in for my future career path. This internship helped broaden my horizons and will definitely help in the post-grad job search. I am interested in helping those in living in poverty in developing countries and third world countries through sustainable initiatives. This means creating sustainable businesses in specific areas to help provide jobs and a stable income for those in need.

What advice do you have for students looking for a similar experience?

My best advice for anyone looking for a similar experience would be to challenge yourself and go out of your comfort zone. Another tip is if there is something that you truly enjoy that aligns with the field you are in or want to go in, don’t be hesitant to try to form it into an internship. It may take a couple of steps and working through but if it is something that will be beneficial to your future, your advisor and internship supervisor can help you work out all of the details.

What was the best experience in your internship?

The best part of my internship was leaving Ghana knowing that I was going to continue on helping in whatever way that I could. Seeing where many people come from with different cultures helps you understand that not everyone needs the same type of change. I gained a passion for where I want to take my skills after graduation as well as a passion to learn more about others and what helps them in each specific community. Although I have learned a lot over the past few years, going abroad helped me realize how to apply my knowledge in different ways to the experiences that come in my path.

How did this affect your career goals?

This affected my career goals by helping me find what I truly wanted to do with my career path. When I chose my major, I wasn’t quite sure of which direction I wanted to pursue in the major. Although I did not choose international development, I believe that the work I did over in Ghana correlates perfectly with business and sustainability. Each year more businesses are investing in sustainability and how they can help at an international level. 

Internships Abroad show a new environment 

Advice from a career counselor: Internships working internationally are typically hard to negotiate and discover. Start by asking an education abroad specialist about opportunities to study in another country. Often times that’s a great way to start exploring and networking for opportunities. Also, seek out organizations who may be based in the United States, but are engaged in international program work.